Grand National 2013: 66-1 outsider Auroras Encore takes it - Telegraph Grand National Grand National 2013: 66-1 outsider Auroras Encore takes it The Grand National has been won by a 66-1 outsider ridden by a showjumper who almost quit riding two years ago - and by bookmakers who will pay out only a fraction of the tens of millions of pounds bet on the race. Image 1 of 2 The champion: Ryan Mania soaks up the applause after riding Auroras Encore to Grand National victory Photo: Getty Images Grand National 2013: Auroras Encore pulls off 66-1 Aintree win | Sport | The Guardian Grand National 2013: Auroras Encore pulls off 66-1 Aintree win • Ryan Mania successful in first ride in the race • Sue and Harvey Smith train the shock victor 66-1 shot Auroras Encore ridden by Ryan Mania celebrates winning the Grand National at Aintree.

Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images Grand National 2013: Auroras Encore pulls off 66-1 Aintree win • Ryan Mania successful in first ride in the race • Sue and Harvey Smith train the shock victor Saturday 6 April 2013 11.44 EDT First published on Saturday 6 April 2013 11.44 EDT Close This article is 3 years old The Grand National has provided another sensational shock with victory for Auroras Encore, a 66-1 shot who pounded clear on the run-in under jockey Ryan Mania, having his first ride in the famous race. The winning trainer is Sue Smith, wife of the former show-jumper Harvey, who achieved fame in the 70s as a bad boy of a sport that then enjoyed much TV coverage. There was a great deal of pressure on Aintree's officials to provide a safe race after two equine deaths over the first two days of the race-meeting, despite newly softened fences. The result was that there were no fallers and no jockeys were unseated over the first seven fences, including Becher's Brook. Early indications were that all horses had returned safely.

Another success was the revised starting arrangements, which produced a start so quick and trouble-free that some onlookers were startled to discover the race in progress. At the other end of the action, Auroras Encore pulled clear of the much more fancied Cappa Bleu and Teaforthree, who finished second and third. Seabass was sent off the 11-2 favourite to make Katie Walsh the first winning female jockey in the race's long history. He made progress into the front rank on the second circuit before fading. Walsh's brother, Ruby, also rode a fancied horse in On His Own, who moved up menacingly on the second circuit. But he was already in trouble when falling at Valentine's Brook, three fences further than he had managed last year. Tony McCoy was unseated when his mount, Colbert Station, blundered at The Chair. The 23-year-old Mania gave up his career in the saddle in 2011, frustrated by a lack of opportunity, but found the sport's lure too hard to resist. He was praised for his efforts by Smith. "He's a grand little horse and you can ride him anywhere, anyhow," the trainer said.

"We knew there was a strong possibility that he would get the trip and Ryan's given him an absolutely wonderful ride." The four winning owners include the 78-year-old Jim Beaumont, who was born in Liverpool and worked in the city's Adelphi Hotel as a bellboy at the age of 14. Ryan Mania celebrated a first-race triumph on Auroras Encore in Saturday's Aintree Grand National Published: 6 Apr 2013 Aintree have hailed a new era for the Grand National after all 40 runners and riders returned safe Published: 6 Apr 2013 Grand National joy for a blunt Yorkshireman 42 years after he gained notoriety for a very public 'V'-sign Published: 6 Apr 2013 Sunday tips: Tullamore Dew at Ascot is the best bet of the day Published: 6 Apr 2013 Grand National 2013 winner Auroras Encore: How the horse, jockey Ryan Mania and trainer Sue Smith won at Aintree - Mirror Online View gallery Auroras Encore powered to victory in the 2013 John Smith's Grand National despite starting the race priced at 66-1.

Sue Smith became only the third female in history to train the winner of the race . Beaten just a head in the Scottish National at Ayr a year ago, the 11-year-old had been well beaten in recent starts but came to challenge for the lead jumping the final fence. While the complexion of the National has changed so many times on the long run-in in the past, the result was scarcely in doubt on this occasion as Auroras Encore galloped all the way to the line under Ryan Mania to score by nine lengths. Cappa Bleu finished strongly to grab the runner-up spot, with Teaforthree and Oscar Time third and fourth respectively. Scottish-born rider Mania said: "There's no words to describe it, I got a dream ride all the way - I couldn't believe my luck. Big jump: Auroras Encore (right) ridden by Ryan Mania clears the Open Ditch (Photo: PA) "I couldn't fault the old horse. He was second in the Scottish National last year and I thought I should stay loyal to him and thank God I did.

"I never really had an anxious moment, he made a couple of mistakes, that's all." Bingley-based Smith said: "It's unbelievable, he gave him such a good ride. "I knew the ground was right for him and hoped everything else was. He stayed down the middle and had a bit of luck in running. He didn't have a lot of weight and that helped, too. "He's such a grand little horse, you can ride him anyway you like. Huge crowd: Racegoers enjoy Grand National Day at Aintree "I just feel sorry for the previous owners, who were wonderful and sold him because of ill health." Smith's husband, former world famous showjumper Harvey Smith, said: "It's superb, absolutely spot-on. "All the horses have come back in one piece. Everyone has worked hard to get it as a safe course and that has proved it today. "This race will go on forever, look at the public- it goes out worldwide and you can't beat it.

"This is the best (moment of my career) and let's hope there's more to come." Jenny Pitman became the first lady to train a Grand National winner when Corbiere won the race in 1983, and she went on to saddle a second winner with Royal Athlete in 1995. Venetia Williams struck gold with 100-1 shot Mon Mome in 2009. Since his fine effort in the Scottish National, Auroras Encore had made seven racecourse appearances, failing to complete on three occasions and finishing well out of the frame on the other four starts. However, clearly lit up by the giant fences, the veteran enjoyed a dream run under a light weight and finished off strongly to give Mania an incredible success on his first ever ride in the race. Cappa Bleu, fourth in the race 12 months ago, put in another fantastic performance to fill the runner-up spot. Teaforthree led at the final fence but was unable to keep with the winner and faded into a gallant third. The 12-year-old Oscar Time was second in 2011 and a fine fourth this time around.

Grand National 2013: Ryan Mania rides 66-1 shot Auroras Encore to victory at Aintree - Telegraph Grand National Grand National 2013: Ryan Mania rides 66-1 shot Auroras Encore to victory at Aintree Auroras Encore, a 66-1 shot virtually ignored by punters and ridden by Scottish-born Ryan Mania, a jockey who was so disillusioned with racing that he quit the saddle for six months two years ago, added his name to the fabled list of John Smith’s Grand National winners on Saturday. Remarkably only two horses actually fell in the race. Image 1 of 2 The champion: Ryan Mania soaks up the applause after riding Auroras Encore to Grand National victory Photo: Getty Images By Marcus Armytage 7:00PM BST 06 Apr 2013 The 11-year-old, one of the smallest horses among the 40 starters, is trained on Ilkley Moor by Sue Smith, who becomes the third woman to saddle a National winner after Jenny Pitman, the first 30 years ago, and Venetia Williams.

But she is probably best known as the wife of Harvey Smith, one of the greats from showjumping’s heyday, who enjoyed 45 years at the top of that equine sphere. Auroras Encore, who was bought late last year by his owners, who were looking for a National horse with bags of stamina, was second in last year’s Scottish National carrying a big weight, but that fact seemed to have slipped the minds of punters and form experts alike. Rising to the challenge of the big fences, he was always travelling well, more like a favourite than an outsider, just in behind the leaders and, three out, Mania could begin to dream that racing’s biggest prize might be there for the taking. In front of him Teaforthree and Oscar Time were vying for the lead, but Auroras Encore had them in his sights and, when they began to tire going to the last, it was the small horse with the big heart who went into overdrive and stayed on to win by nine lengths. Cappa Bleu, fourth last year, ran on for second but the winner had long since gone.

He finished ahead of fellow Welsh runner Teaforthree, while Oscar Time, second to Ballabriggs in 2011 but also a 66-1 shot here, was a further 11 lengths back in fourth to improve amateur Sam Waley-Cohen’s outstanding record over these fences. Related Articles Grand National 2013: as it happened 06 Apr 2013 Mania, 23, who was having his first ride in the race, was left stunned. “I still can’t believe it’s happened. I can’t explain how it feels. I was happy with my position all the way - I was six or seventh but always with lots of daylight – and when he made little mistakes he learned from them. “I got a blow into him after Becher’s and, at the last ditch, I was happy because I was confident I’d be placed and then going to the last the two in front of me started to stop and I thought ‘this isn’t happening’.” He quit to become a hunt servant in Scotland when his previous employer Howard Johnson was closed down by the BHA and he wondered where he was going to get any rides from.

It is testament to his ability that he retrieved his career and testament to his horsemanship that he is first jockey to the Smiths. Sue Smith also appeared subdued by the enormity of the occasion. “The horse has lots of miles on the clock and is very sensible,” she said. “We were hoping that he might finish in the first five because we know he stays but this, it’s a complete bonus, but it’s not a fluke. Ryan gave him a lovely ride today. It was Harvey who sent out a message to Ryan to come and ride for us when he came back into racing.” Edinburgh-based owner Douglas Pryde shares the horse with Jim Beaumont, a Liverpudlian also based in Scotland, and David van der Hoeven. He explained that they had bought Auroras Encore at the end of last winner when the previous owners had wanted to get out of racing and, while Pryde and Beaumont have owned horses for 20 years, it was a first winner for Van der Hoeven, though, he was away on holiday in Greece yesterday. “I had a runner in the National two years ago called Santas Son who ran out of steam and I wanted a horse for the race with more stamina,” said Pryde.

“We knew, having finished second in a Scottish National, that this horse had stamina in excess.” In all, 17 horses completed the course and, on what was a bright, sunny day both physically and metaphorically for the authorities at Aintree, all 40 riders and horses returned unscathed after starter Hugh Barclay got them off to a clean start at the first time of asking. The vast majority of those who failed to complete were pulled up, six jockeys were unseated, while technically only two fell. The authorities were not the only ones pleased, either. David Muir, the RSPCA’s equine officer, described it as a “joy to watch”. With out a faller until the eighth – the Canal Turn - there was a huge roar of appreciation from the sell-out 70,000 crowd when all 40 horses cleared Becher’s and another huge cheer when the course commentator announced that 35 horses were setting out on the second circuit. In contrast, there had been a groan when AP McCoy was given no chance of staying in the saddle by the well-backed Colbert Station at the Chair in front of the packed stands.

Katie Walsh, whose mount Seabass was sent off the 11-2 favourite, rode upsides her brother, Ruby, on On His Own for much of the race. On His Own eventually tipped up at Valentine’s on the second circuit but was almost out of contention at the time while Seabass, who eventually finished 13th, could never quite get into the thick of it after a couple of mistakes. How they finished Grand National Auroras Encore wins with a strong finish at 66-1 – Horse Clips Chris Auroras Encore ridden by Ryan Mania was still galloping strongly as he crossed the finishing line for the 2013 John Smith’s Grand National. It was an amazingly strong finish by the horse who had been galloping for just over 4 miles and jumped 30 enormous fences. As a 66-1 outsider anybody who put some money on him will be celebrating tonight 🙂 You can watch Auroras Encore’s gallop for the finish line and see how strongly he finished compared to Cappa Bleu and Teaforthree on Channel 4 OD .

With the benefit of hindsight it is suprising that Auroras Encore was a 66-1 outsider because a year ago he lost the Scottish National by a neck. Watch the video and see how close the finish was. The favourite at 11-2 was Seabass ridden by Katie Walsh. For most of the race he was sitting quite comfortably around 6th place but he faded towards the end of the race and finished 13th. The first few fences are normally chaotic with a lot of fallers as all 40 horses gallop for the first fence. However, this year there were no fallers until the 8th fence – Canal Turn. This is the first time this has happened in the history of the race. In fact in total there were only two horses that fell and only 6 jockeys that were unseated. This is as a result of the changes that Aintree has made to the structure of the fences and to the new start position – away from the grandstands. The start was moved because it was hoped that being further from the crowd will reduce the tension at the start and ensure that the starter can get the race under way at the first attempt.

As always I enjoy watching the race but I often feel uncomfortable about enjoying it if there are horse issues during the race so it was nice to watch the race and know that I could enjoy it without any concerns. Related posts: The Grand National: sport or barbarity? Horse racing's big day on trial | Sport | The Guardian Grand National The Grand National: sport or barbarity? Horse racing's big day on trial The Grand National is an iconic event – but it also kills horses with alarming regularity. This year's meet has already seen two deaths, and fresh protests. So does the race have a future? Horses take on Becher’s Brook in the Fox Hunters’ Chase on the first day of the Grand National meeting at Aintree. One horse died on Thursday, and another on Friday. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian Friday 5 April 2013 14.36 EDT First published on Friday 5 April 2013 14.36 EDT Share on Messenger Close My early-morning train to Aintree is delayed by a dog on the track.

The dog – a large, shaggy, bemused-looking grey mongrel – has to be caught, put on a rope and led to safety by a man in a high-vis jacket. None of the freezing passengers complains at the inconvenience. We are British after all: a nation of animal lovers, doggie devotees, more certain of our affection for creatures on four legs than two. And this is why every year, in early spring, the same controversy erupts. Should the Grand National take place? Is it racing's supreme challenge – nearly 4.5 miles, 30 fences, 40 runners – or Britain's answer to bullfighting, a cruel spectacle put on for the dubious edification of 70,000 racegoers and an estimated TV audience across the world of 600 million? Is it sport or barbarity? Does it really have a place in the 21st century? This year the arguments between the pro- and anti-National factions have been especially heated. Two horses, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning Synchronised, died in the race last year; two more had died the year before.

This is powerful ammunition for the National haters, who claim the tide of public opinion is turning. Aintree has responded by modifying the fences, making them less rigid, more forgiving. The drop on the landing side of the famed/infamous (delete according to taste) Becher's Brook has been reduced – an unseen, unexpected ditch has long been deemed unfair to the horses – and there is now a shorter run to the first fence to take the horses away from the noise of the grandstand, and give them less time to gather momentum. The Aintree authorities are, however, in a bind. Whatever they do will never be enough to satisfy critics of the race, who want it banned. And every change they make offends the traditionalists, who argue that the race's uniqueness resides in its degree of difficulty. Reduce the field and the length, strip away the peculiar features of the fences – the height of The Chair, the fearsomeness of Becher's, the sharpness of the Canal Turn – and you are left with a bog-standard three-mile chase that might as well be run at Huntingdon on a wet Wednesday. The National became a cultural phenomenon – a truly national event – because of its bizarreness.

The question is whether the steady wastage of horses' lives is a price worth paying to preserve this 175-year-old rite. The racing fraternity have been eloquent this week in their advocacy of the great race, and none more so than Jonjo O'Neill , the twinkling, much-loved jockey-turned trainer responsible for the ill-fated Synchronised. "We're all doing this job because we love the horses," he said, "but sometimes we are being put in the same bracket as murderers. Some of the things said about us are a bloody insult – as if we are animals ourselves." Katie Walsh, one of the top female jockeys and third last year on Seabass, said in an interview with the Radio Times, "I hope to God there are no accidents this year but these things happen, and they're horses at the end of the day. They're so well looked after. Better than some children." It was perhaps inevitable that Walsh should be aboard a horse that died over the new National fences on Thursday, the first day of the Aintree meeting. Battlefront, trained by her father, Ted, who won the National with Papillon in 2000 , collapsed and died during the race .

I speak to Dene Stansall, horse racing consultant to anti-racing lobby group Animal Aid , moments later, and he is quick to point up the irony. "We've just seen a race round the Grand National course where another horse's life has been taken," he says, "and it was ridden by Katie Walsh who's been saying they're only horses after all." No amount of "tinkering" with the National fences will satisfy Stansall. "The Grand National course should be removed from Aintree," he insists. "We don't want races over these fences. Two horses fell at Becher's Brook [in Thursday's Fox Hunters' Chase]. The issue with that fence hasn't been resolved. There's clearly still a problem, and it's just luck that they got up again. There needs to be a proper welfare audit of the course." Stansall insists the anti-Nationals are winning the battle. "We did an NOP poll last year and one back in 2003 and there was a 14% swing: 43% in 2003 thought it was cruel and in 2012 57%.

You always used to have the winner of the Grand National on the front page on newspapers; now it's pictures of dead horses. That's what's making news now." He has a point. The photograph of a dead horse under tarpaulin as the rest of the field streamed past in the 2011 race must have made many casual followers question their commitment to the race. Rarely can life and death have been so vividly juxtaposed. A moment before, Dooneys Gate was jumping as if his life depended on it . It did. Stansall cites what appear to be a killer set of statistics – over the past five years, 944 horses have died on the 60 racecourses in the UK. His point is that the National is just the most dangerous event in a sport that is inherently destructive. But statistics are slippery things. In the wake of Battlefront's death , John Baker, regional director of the Jockey Club and de facto chief executive of Aintree, offers his own interpretation of those figures. "You can never remove all risk from horseracing, as with any sport," he says.

"However, welfare standards are very high, and equine fatalities are rare, with 90,000 runners each year and a fatality rate of 0.2%." The problem for Baker is that each of those 0.2% is a once-vivid, hard-trying animal now laid out under tarpaulin. Stansall, who makes no bones about the fact that he would ultimately like to see all racing outlawed, says there will be a peaceful protest ahead of today's race (the Aintree authorities fear something more disruptive). "If there is any trouble, it won't be from us," he insists. "We think the change has to come from the swell of public opinion and from legislation. You have to take self-regulation away from an industry that has no respect for horses used, abused and thrown out the other end. The debate about horse welfare is now on the agenda in a way it wasn't 10 or 15 years ago. This issue won't go away." Animal Aid and its representatives are not welcome at Aintree.

A small knot of their supporters will today stand at the entrance to the course hammering home their message: "You Bet, They Die." The RSPCA takes a different view. They have decided to work for change from within, and immediately before racing on Friday, I meet its equine consultant, David Muir, resplendent in a green tweed suit and still puffing from having walked the course. "I check the fences and if I see something wrong, that's the time I say something," he explains. Muir takes the pragmatic view that racing isn't going to disappear, so the RSPCA needs to get involved to make it as safe as possible. He describes his role as that of a "critical friend" and says, "the National is an iconic race. It's got this wonderful Liverpudlian atmosphere, which is unique in the world. It's got the distance, the fences, it brings the community together; it's a race that we should all be saying, 'What can we do to make it palatable?'" He believes the answer to safety concerns is to reduce the size of the field from the current maximum of 40, though so far the British Horseracing Authority has spurned his suggestion.

Is the race safer now, despite four deaths in two years? "It's more welfare-orientated," he says. "Safety is a word that I'm very careful about using. You can't have a safe racecourse. Racing is a legitimate enterprise," he adds, "and unless you get a massive public upsurge wanting to ban it, which I can't see, then really, the only way to get rid of racing is through parliament, and I don't see that happening either." World Horse Welfare agrees with the RSPCA. "Proud to promote the responsible use of horses in sport," says the slogan on the front of its stall at Aintree. "We've been working with Aintree to improve the safety of the National as much as possible," says field officer John Cunningham, "and the race has our qualified support. We would like to see sensible improvements to safety, while maintaining the character of the race." One statistic worries Cunningham, however. In most jump races, 10% of the runners fall; in the National, a whopping 46% fail to finish.

But he hopes the new, softer fence cores and other modifications will change that, and argues that the historical significance of the race and its economic importance to the north-west make it worth preserving if safety can be improved. There are, though, plenty of people on the course who reckon the race could be killed by kindness. "The National has kept its popular appeal," says bookies' assistant Mel Illingworth, "but if you mess with it any more, it might not. They go on about horses' safety, but you get them breaking a leg on the flat, and they live like royalty. It's about right as it is – it's still hard enough – but make it any easier and it would just become like any other race." "When you come, you just see the fun side," says one member of a hen party at Aintree's version of Ladies' Day. "You don't realise the danger of it. We're mainly here for the fashion." Does Liverpool still love the National? "They wouldn't sell it out every year if people had fallen out of love with it," says Rachael Cole, here with her friend Faye Emery from Wigan.

The National was in crisis in the 1970s and itself close to being put under tarpaulins, but triple-winner Red Rum saved it, and the past 30 years have been good to the race. Now it has reached another fork in the road, its own version of the Canal Turn. The BBC has given up on racing (more on the grounds of economy than sqeamishness), and Channel 4 has taken over the reins for the National this year. If audiences fall dramatically, some might again start to question the future of the race. This is also the last year it will be backed by its long-time sponsor, brewers John Smith's, and no new sponsor has yet been announced. Potential backers will be waiting to see the outcome of today's race. No one wants to be associated with dead horseflesh. The bookmakers insist there are no signs of a decline in the public's appetite. "The volume of betting on the Grand National has gone up every year in the 41 years I've worked for William Hill," says the firm's media relations director, Graham Sharpe.

"It's an iconic event known to virtually everyone of betting age in the country." Rory Scott of Paddy Power anticipates £300m will be punted on the race – a slight rise on last year – and that 30 million people in the UK and Ireland will place bets. That seems unlikely, but if the figure is anywhere near that, then Stansall's belief that the public is steadily turning against the race seems wishful. Others, though, are less sanguine. "The National is in big trouble," says one industry insider who asked to remain anonymous. "Nothing will placate the antis, and the RSPCA are determined to kill off the race as we know it." The racegoers were already reeling when the Topham Chase was run over the National fences yesterday afternoon. It was noticeable how the police presence increased as the day wore on and the drink made itself felt. But it remained good-humoured, and the only incident looked as if it would be a man being stretchered away when he collapsed during the race. But those fences – even in their new, softer incarnation – are not to be underestimated.

They still pose a lethal threat, and how the public responds to that danger will determine whether the race lives or dies. At the 15th fence in a race run over just one circuit of the National course, the classy 11-year-old Little Josh (one of the favourites, and a horse described by industry bible the Racing Post as a "thrilling frontrunner when on song") took a crashing fall. He broke a shoulder and had to be put down. A few minutes later, in the hubbub of the weighing room, I asked Little Josh's trainer, Nigel Twiston-Davies, what it means to lose a horse in those circumstances, and whether such fatalities would ultimately undermine the public's affection for the National. "He went out doing what he enjoyed," says Twiston-Davies. "It doesn't change anything. You could have a prang in the car on the way home. Where there's life, there's death.

That's just the way it is." Ryan Mania celebrated a first-race triumph on Auroras Encore in Saturday's Aintree Grand National Published: 6 Apr 2013 Aintree have hailed a new era for the Grand National after all 40 runners and riders returned safe Published: 6 Apr 2013 The Grand National has come under renewed pressure following the death of Little Josh in the Topham Chase which was blighted by two false starts Published: 5 Apr 2013 Grand National joy for a blunt Yorkshireman 42 years after he gained notoriety for a very public 'V'-sign Published: 6 Apr 2013 Grand National 2013: Auroras Encore claims Aintree success - BBC Sport BBC Sport Grand National 2013: Auroras Encore claims Aintree success By Frank Keogh From the section Horse Racing Share this page Read more about sharing. Auroras Encore sprang a 66-1 surprise to win the 166th Grand National by nine lengths at Aintree.

The 11-year-old, trained by Sue Smith and ridden by Ryan Mania, jumped superbly as 17 of the 40 runners finished the race. Cappa Bleu (12-1) was second, Teaforthree (10-1) third and 2011 runner-up Oscar Time (66-1) fourth, ahead of Rare Bob (16-1). Seabass was sent off the 11-2 favourite, as jockey Katie Walsh sought to become the first female rider to win the famous steeplechase. Where did your horse finish? 1. Auroras Encore (Ryan Mania) 66-1 2. Cappa Bleu (Paul Moloney) 12-1 3. Teaforthree (Nick Scholfield) 10-1 4. Oscar Time (Sam Waley-Cohen) 66-1 5. Rare Bob (Bryan Cooper) 16-1 6. Swing Bill (Conor O'Farrell) 80-1 But her mount faded, eventually finishing 13th.

However, it was Walsh's fellow amateur Sam Waley-Cohen who played a leading role as he sent 2011 runner-up Oscar Time towards the front in the latter stages. Welsh National runner-up Teaforthree mounted a challenge before Scottish jockey Mania - in his first Grand National ride - appeared at the vanguard with his mount travelling strongly. They made no mistake at the last and raced away up the run-in for a comprehensive win. "There are no words to describe it," said the 23-year-old Scot. "I got a dream ride round. I couldn't believe my luck. "I couldn't fault the horse. I had a choice of two but I thought I better stay loyal to him. He loved every second of it. He was just class." Mania gave up riding for six months in 2011 when trainer Howard Johnson lost his licence, before deciding to come back to the sport with the encouragement of Sue Smith and her former showjumper husband Harvey. Auroras Encore went largely ignored by punters after a disappointing sequence of unplaced runs following a fine second, beaten a neck by Merigo, in the Scottish National at Ayr a year ago.

But the drying ground may well have been the key to the gelding's improvement as Smith became the third female trainer to win the race after Jenny Pitman (Corbiere and Royal Athlete) and Venetia Williams (Mon Mome). The Bingley-based handler said afterwards: "It's unbelievable. He gave him such a good ride. "I knew the ground was right for him and hoped everything else was. He stayed down the middle and had a bit of luck in running. He didn't have a lot of weight and that helped, too. "He's such a grand little horse, you can ride him any way you like." The winner is now owned by Douglas Pryde, Jim Beaumont and David van der Hoeven. Edinburgh-based Beaumont, 78, was born in Liverpool and worked as a bell boy at the city's Adelphi Hotel at the age of 14 before going on to carve out a career in the catering and hotels business. After two fatalities in each of the two previous runnings, all 40 horses and jockeys returned safely.

Only two horses fell with six jockeys unseated, while it was the first time in the race's history that the entire field were still in contention up to Canal Turn, the eighth fence. Grand National 2013: Auroras Encore wins as heavily pregnant Coleen Rooney and family join in the fun at Aintree | Daily Mail Online comments It has been blighted by controversy in recent years but the Grand National triumphed yesterday – thanks to a triple whammy of a surprise winner, blazing sunshine and no fatalities. Sue Smith, the wife of flamboyant showjumping champion Harvey Smith, had the most to celebrate after she became only the third female trainer in history to win Britain’s most popular race. Her horse Auroras Encore was piloted home by Ryan Mania at odds of 66-1, winning in front of a 70,000 sell-out crowd by nine lengths and a nose ahead of Cappa Bleu in second place and Teaforthree in third.

Upset: Ryan Mania, riding Auroras Encore, clears the last to win the Grand National in front of a sell-out crowd of 70,000 On the way to victory: Auroras Encore, centre, goes over the jump just behind the leaders on the way to winning the Grand National BUT WHY DID THE FILLIES ALL WEAR BLACK? By JONATHAN PETRE She was absent from Ladies’ Day for the first time in ten years, but Coleen Rooney was not going to miss the big race yesterday – despite being heavily pregnant. The wife of Manchester United star Wayne arrived at Aintree for the Grand National in a black maternity dress with lace detail and a pair of precarious red high heels. While Wayne was preparing for a clash with rivals Manchester City tomorrow, Coleen watched the race with three-year-old son Kai. Also dressed in black was singer Katherine Jenkins, who took to the track to perform the National Anthem. The theme of figure-hugging black numbers was continued by The Only Way Is Essex stars Cara Kilbey and Billi Mucklow and ex-Brookside actress Claire Sweeney. Other racegoers, however, preferred more flamboyant outfits, including a trio of Union Jack-clad singers.

Nearly all racegoers made an effort for the glamorous day, with girls donning elaborate hats, colourful dresses and towering heels. A delighted Mrs Smith said: ‘Its unbelievable, Ryan gave him such a good ride. I knew the ground was right for him and hoped everything else was. He stayed down the middle and had a bit of luck in running. He didn’t have a lot of weight and that helped, too. He’s such a grand little horse.’ Harvey Smith, 74, who famously gave a V-sign to judges in the 1971 British Show Jumping Derby, last night said he had been dreaming of the triumph for 65 years. He said: ‘It’s the best of my life. It’s the best because this is the present. Let’s hope there is more to come. I’m going to enjoy this because I won’t have many more moments like it. I’ll be 6ft under in a box soon. ‘When I was a boy I fell off my bike and broke my wrist – and they gave me gas when they operated to fix it. In those days they used to put a bowl next to you to be sick in.

‘But I put that bowl on my head and I was cheering. “What are you doing?” they asked me. I told them: “I’ve just won the Grand National.” It’s taken me 65 years to do it.’ The former show-jumper also blasted critics of the race. He said: ‘The doubters were rubbish. There are too many wimps in this country. It’s onwards and upwards for the Grand National.’ Smith declined to do a repeat of his V-sign sign and said: ‘No. That V-sign stuff is all in the past.’ The family’s triumph was an even greater surprise because it was the first time jockey Mania, 24, had taken part.

RELATED ARTICLES Winner: Auroras Encore rider Ryan Mania clutches his trophy after winning the Grand National Excitement: Racegoers roar as they watch the action at Aintree Winner: Ryan Mania punches the air after winning the Grand National with Auroras Encore against the odds Leading the pack: Auroras Encore, right, leads the way at Aintree en course to victory in the 166th Grand National in front of an estimated worldwide television audience of 600million Anticipation: A woman watches open-mouthed during the race Leading the way: Aroras Encore, right, riden by Ryan Mania goes on to win after jumping Becher's Brook, during the Grand National horse race at Aintree Delight: Auroras Encore crosses the finish line first in a major upset at Aintree He said: ‘There are no words to describe it. I couldn’t believe my luck. I couldn’t fault the horse. He loved every second of it – he was class.’ The rank outsider’s victory gave Britain’s bookmakers, who had been taking an average of 9,000 online and mobile phone bets per minute, their best Grand National result in living memory.

David Williams of Ladbrokes said: ‘The winner seemed to slip off every radar. We thought Mon Mome’s victory at 100-1 a few years ago was superb but this was every bit as good.’ It is believed punters staked more than £150 million on the race. Not missing it: Coleen Rooney missed Ladies Day at Aintree on Friday because of her pregnancy but was among the early arrivals for the race today Towie stars Cara Kilbet and Billi Mucklow seen arriving at Aintree yesterday Excitement: Coleen holds Kai as mother and son prepare for this year's Grand National race yesterday Cool character: Kai Rooney playing with his sunglasses as he is held by his mother at the Grand National Residents in Bingley, West Yorkshire, where the horse is stabled, were also delighted with the result. Rev Beverley Mason, the vicar at All Saints Parish Church, said: ‘This is fantastic news for Bingley and we rejoice for the owner. Bingley is a fantastic town, and I hope this puts Bingley on the map.

I didn’t bet on the race, but I wish I had done.’ At the Ferrands Arms pub in the town, half of the 30 punters who watched on TV had put money on the Aurora Encore. Bar supervisor Elliott Andrews, 27, said: ‘We are expecting some celebrations tonight, and we might even put a picture of the horse in the pub if we can find one.’ Animal rights campaigners expressed relief that the event had not produced any of the injuries or fatalities of recent years. The RSPCA’s David Muir said: ‘It is great news that we have seen this race finish without serious injury or death. ‘But there were horses which did not finish the race, showing that the field is still too large at 40.’ Superstar: Katherine Jenkins waves to racegoers before singing the national anthem at Aintree Roar! The crowd cheer as they enjoy Grand National Day ahead of the big race.

Millions of pounds were staked on the race Delight: Winning trainer Sue Smith and her husband Harvey share a tender moment yesterday as they celebrate Auroras Encore's remarkable win Two ladies glamourously dressed at Aintree yesterday for the Grand National Sing along: Three performers hold a sing along with two police officers in a light-hearted moment at Aintree yesterday Glamour: Two racegoers pose for photos as they arrive at Aintree ahead of the 166th Grand National Checking the odds: Two women study the card before the John Smith's Grand National Steeple Chase at Aintree Racecourse Anticipation: A group of female racegoers soak up the sunshine on the Aintree Mound ahead of the Grand National Big day out: Racegoers at the course in Liverpool watch the action as they wait for the main event A racegoer watches the early action before the 166th Grand National which will see a brother and sister compete alongside each other Dressed up: All racegoers made an effort for the glamorous day, with girls donning elaborate hats, colourful dresses and sky high heels Hat's fantastic!

Racegoers were wearing some elaborate headwear at Aintree Glamour: Ladies fasion on show at Aintree today ahead of the world famous steeplechase Sell out: A crowd of 70,000 people will be at Aintree for the race Manchester United manager and horse-racing enthusiast Sir Alex Ferguson (cenre) at Aintree today for the Grand National Dressed up: Two female racegoers arrive at Aintree yesterday for the world-famous race Two racegoers cheer on the horses during an early race on Grand National day at Aintree Pick a Grand National Winner - Quick 5 Step Guide Tips How To Pick A Winner When Auroras Encore romped to victory in the 2013 Grand National pundits everywhere were stunned. He was 11 years old, a low rated horse with a history of falling. To make matters worse, Ryan Mania the jockey partnering Auroras Encore on the day had absolutely no experience over the course, on paper the 66/1 odds the bookies gave him looked about right. Yet, they both proved us wrong! It just goes to show that picking a National winner is very difficult but the good news is that it’s not impossible.

We can show you a couple of things to look out for when selecting your horses. Every now and again a horse like Auroras Encore will win the big one. However, horses who usually win the Grand National fall into a narrow band of statistics. Below you can read what to look for in a potential winner. Beware The Heavy Weights Generally we’d advise against backing a horse that carries over 11-03 in weight, even with the recent wins of ‘ Neptune Collonges ‘ and ‘Don’t Push It’ who both carried more than 11-03 to victory, they remain the exception that proves the rule. Since Corbiere carried over 11st to victory in 1983 only Neptune Collonges,’ Hedgehunter ‘ & ‘ Don’t Push It ‘ have equalled the feat. The simple fact is that very few horses have managed to win carrying big weights. The 2008 Grand National winner, Comply or Die , weighed 10-09.

Mon Mome won in 2009 carrying 11-00, Ballabriggs carried 11-00 in 2011, Auroras Encore carried 10-03 in 2013 and Pineau De Re scored last year carrying 10-6. It’s A Marathon Not A Sprint The Grand National is a grueling race, and we’ve always maintained that only horses experienced at running over 3 miles or more can be expected to be in with a shout. New BHA recommendations regarding this have now been put in place so that only horses who have previously finished fourth or better in a chase of 3m or further will be allowed entry. Don’t rule out horses that have previously entered and completed the Grand National, even if they finished nowhere. Mon Mome, Silver Birch, Hedgehunter, Amberleigh House and Montys Pass are all winners who also ran unsuccessfully the year before! Age Before Beauty Experience counts for much in the National.

Seven of the last ten winners were either nine or ten years old with only Amberleigh House (12) in 2004, Neptune Collonges (11) in 2012 and Auroras Encore (11) in 2013 being the exceptions. But horses are so well trained now that nearly 30% of 2013 Grand National entries were 11 years or older and the three heaviest weights all went to 12-year-olds. But entries is very different to winners so unless the horse is exceptional you should still try to stick to a nine or ten year old and don’t back any seven year olds as it’s been 74 years since one won and few even finish the course! Frogs Legs? Previously I’ve suggested you should forget the French bred and trained horses, until recently they had a terrible record in the National, but the tremendous win from French horse Mon Mome in 2009, and Neptune Collonges in 2012 is rewriting the form book. However, those two winners were trained in the United Kingdom. It has been over a Century since the last French trained horse won the National.

Summary Every now and then a major upset happens at the Grand National and the rule book goes out the window but if you want to give yourself the best chance of picking a winner then consider our tips… Go for a nine/ten year old horse carrying between 10-07 to 11-03 stone, experience running at Aintree is preferred and statistically the horse will have already won a decent race where the prize money was £17,000 or bigger. And finally… sign up with an online bookmaker to avoid the queues at the local bookies on Saturday morning. Paddy Power are giving new customers a free bet if you sign-up today. Bet Now 2011 Winner Proves A Point Let’s look at the 2011 race – I followed my tips exactly, chose my horses and they came home in 1st and 2nd place, netting me a nice little packet! I looked at every horse running, ruled out those younger than 9 and older than 10 years, looked at the weights they’d been given and and had a quick gander at the distances they had previously run.

What I ended up with was a few terrific horses two of which did exactly as hoped – Ballabriggs came 1st with Oscar Time in 2nd 2011 Grand National. I plan on doing the same thing this year and my tip is to put aside the odds, it’s such a difficult race that luck is as much a part of it than anything and you can’t put odds on that! Luck is as much a part of it than anything and you can’t put odds on that! You should also go with your gut instinct. I told anybody who would listen that Ballabriggs was going to win despite the fact that he wasn’t that well known and and there didn’t appear to be much fuss about him before the race. My family and friends listened and backed him, some got on the action at 20/1 – as you can imagine they were all very happy! On an even happier little note – for five years in a row I have managed to pick two of the first four home! Now all you need to do is pick a horse to back using our tips! To view the full list of Grand National runners Click Here .

If you’d rather leave the selection of your Grand National horse to fate then why not let Red Rum pick out a horse for you – just Click Here .

Question: Which horse won the 2013 Grand National at 66 to 1?
Answer: AURORAS ENCORE